How to Know Whether You’re Buying Property in a Good or Bad Location?

One of the most important aspects to consider when purchasing a home is to determine whether or not you are buying property in a good or bad location.

This is without a doubt the main factor that will influence the price of the house that you want to buy, the appreciation of that house in the future and the safety and convenience of your household!

Experts can all agree that location, location, location is the motto of investing in your new home.

The only question that remains is: how do you know whether or not you are buying in a good neighbourhood?

Schools

One of the most important things to consider about the area is its amenities and its schools.

This is especially relevant to families who have children or who are planning on having children in the future. The closer the home is to a school, the fewer parents will have to worry about the safety of their children and the transport costs of getting their kids to school and back home every day.

Another crucial factor regarding purchasing homes in this regard is the case of feeder schools.

If you have your heart set on sending your child to a specific government school, you must make sure that your child is in the correct feeder area!

This is a requirement made by the Department of Education and it basically means that government schools have to give preference to children based on their parents’ residential address.

The closer you live to the school, the better your chances are of being accepted.

Children who live outside of feeder zones will be placed at the bottom of the list. This is why many parents and future parents choose to buy homes that are close to schools.

Amenities

As far as amenities are concerned, a house that is central to malls, shopping centres, beaches and city centres are always highly sought after.

At the end of the day, it’s all about accessibility, isn’t it?

A good infrastructure and potential developments will contribute to the infrastructure of the area or neighbourhood.

Experts note that the better the infrastructure expands and is upgraded, the better the quality of the neighbourhood will be. This also means that the houses will be a bit more expensive.

Amenities also form part of traffic and transport. As previously mentioned, it would be a good idea to have your children close to the school of your choice, but it would also make sense to buy close enough to your own workplace.

More popular amenities in your area will also mean that traffic will become congested where you’re staying. But then again, a significant amount of noise close to your house might have a negative impact on its value!

Crime

The main concern that all homeowners share is the safety and security of the area. Homes will struggle to remain valuable if they are situated in an area where the crime rate is extremely high.

Experts note that it is important to find out what the status of the crime rate is in the area before making the decision to move there.

After all, when you purchase a home, you are not only purchasing the house but you are buying into the neighbourhood as well!

So, when looking to buy a house, it is important to do the required amount of homework regarding the neighbourhood before jumping in.

Take your time, do research and consider talking to a professional real estate agent before making your final decision.

About the author: The above article “How to Know Whether You’re Buying in a Good or Bad Location?” was written by Xavier De Buck, your top-producing Johannesburg real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty. Xavier has been nationally recognized and awarded for providing service excellence, exceptional property sales, whilst exhibiting the highest level of professionalism. With over 17 years combined experience as a real estate agent, real estate investor and landlord, if you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Johannesburg, Xavier would love to share his property knowledge and expertise.

Make sure to connect with him via these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.

© 2020, Xavier De Buck. All Rights Reserved.

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